Wednesday, December 31, 2008

As we get set to sing "Auld Lang Syne" in a few hours to usher in 2009, 2008 was a great year for paulmerca.blogspot.com, as we covered, among major events this year (in chronological order), the USA Cross Country Championships in San Diego; the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland; the Nike Beijing Summit in Beaverton; the Pac-10 Track & Field Championships in Tempe; the Nike Prefontaine Classic in Eugene; back to Eugene for the US Olympic Trials; the Chicago Marathon; the run by the University of Washington women’s cross country team at the Pac-10s, NCAA regionals, and the NCAA national championships; and, the USA Track & Field Convention in Reno, where a new president was elected.

In keeping with the spirit of the holidays, I’ve decided to hand out the first annual “Mercanator” awards in recognition of some of the performances and performers that we’ve chronicled in 2008.

To some of the athletes receiving this award, winning a “Mercanator” award may not necessarily get you an extra bonus from your shoe company contract, but you will get the recognition from the readers of the mighty blogspot for a job well done this season, and a “BOOM! SHAKA-LAKA!” from yours truly.

For those of you who don’t get an award or feel you’ve been jobbed out of a “Mercanator”—there’s 2009!

Enjoy, and thank you to all the readers for your support of the mighty blogspot!

Disclaimer—Mercanator awards are generally limited to athletes who have affiliations with the state of Washington—either they were born in this state, currently reside in the state, or attend(ed) school in the state.

THE MERCANATORS

**Crowd pleaser award—Norris Frederick, University of Washington. Since the Dempsey Indoor facility opened up a few years ago, few athletes, including Olympians, have managed to captivate audiences like Washington senior long/high jumper Norris Frederick.

Frederick was responsible for raising the roof off the Dempsey at the MPSF Championships in the long jump when he sailed a personal best 26-7 3/4 to win the event and set a new facility record, causing the crowd around the long jump to go absolutely nuts, and causing the public address announcer (me!) to yell into the microphone, “BOOM! SHAKA-LAKA!”

**Athlete perspective award—(tie) Katie Follett, University of Washington & Kara Patterson, Purdue University. Katie and Kara were gracious enough this year to share their personal thoughts and perspective to the readers of this blog on what it was like to compete at the Olympic Trials in Eugene, and Olympic Games in Beijing.

**Media relations award—(tie) Jacie Prieto, (Nike); Mike Bruscas (University of Washington); Linda Chalich (Washington State). In order to cover a sport as diverse as track & field, you really need the help of the media relations people, as they’re the gatekeepers. Jacie, Mike & Linda were extremely helpful to the blog this year in helping obtain interviews with athletes this year.

An honorable mention should go to the entire media relations staff at USA Track & Field (all year long), Anna Legnani of the IAAF (world cross), and to Greg Walker and Geoff Thurner from the University of Oregon (Olympic Trials & Pac-10 XC). We’d almost have to retire the award with these folks (and we just started handing them out!).

**Big tip award--All the unnamed inside sources in Beijing who tipped us off to the fact that Churanday Martina was about to be disqualified for a lane violation in the men's 200m final at the Olympics. paulmerca.blogspot.com was the first to break the news on Martina's disqualification before the major news agencies.

**”I can’t believe I just made the Olympic team!”—Diana Pickler. The 2007 WSU grad ran a personal best in the final event, the 800 meters, and stayed close to GiGi Johnson to earn the final spot on the team by 10 points. She also caused this writer to get chided by Seattle Times columnist Steve Kelley for the hug she gave me in the mixed zone while waiting to interview her…oh, well.

**Comeback award—Jessica Pixler, Seattle Pacific. Pixler came back from a stress fracture in her back that knocked her out of the track season to win her second straight NCAA Division II cross country title in November.

**Top performer-men’s sprints: Jeshua Anderson, 400 hurdles. The Washington State freshman, a true diamond in the rough, won the NCAA title, along with the world junior championship, and just missed making the finals at the Olympic Trials. Anderson ran 48.68 at the world junior championships.

**Top performer-men’s distances: Bernard Lagat, 1500/5000 meters. Despite a bum Achilles tendon that shot down any hopes of following up his double gold at the 2007 world championships with a pair of golds in Beijing, the former Cougar still was clearly the best at 1500 (3:32.75), 3000 (7:34.65), and 5000 (13:16.29).

**Top performer—men’s vertical jumps: Brad Walker, pole vault. Walker, like Lagat, is a regular on the blogspot, as the former Husky set an American record at the Prefontaine Classic of 19-9 3/4, and finished second at the world indoor championships. The 2007 world champ was ranked fourth in the world by Track & Field News, with his only blemish a no-height at the Olympics.

**Top performer—men’s horizontal jumps: Norris Frederick, long jump. The Husky senior finished second in the NCAA indoor, and sixth in the outdoor NCAAs, and earned a US #10 ranking by Track & Field News.

**Top performer—men’s throws: Ian Waltz, discus. In a year in which the US was down (as in no world rankers on the T&FN top 10), Waltz was clearly the best American. Waltz, a former WSU standout, threw 226-0, the fifth furthest throw in the world in 2008, but did not shine on the world stage.

**Top performer—women’s distances: Kendra Schaaf, cross country. The Husky freshman had an outstanding season, winning the Pac-10 championship, and finishing 12th in the NCAA championships in Terre Haute. For most of the season, she was clearly the leader of Washington’s national championship harrier squad.

There were strong cases for Washington teammates Michelle Turner (NCAA West Regional champ at 1500) and Katie Follett (Pac-10 champ at 1500) to get this award, but Schaaf gets the nod for the impact on the team.

**Top performer—women’s throws: Aretha Thurmond, discus. Aretha’s only win of significance in 2008 was at the Olympic Trials, where she threw a season best of 213-11. She was consistently in the hunt in every meet she competed, and finally got over her failure to make a final at the Olympics or world championships, finishing tenth in Beijing. Thurmond, the former Husky, was ranked tenth in the world by Track & Field News in the recently released issue.

**Top performer—women’s multi-events: Diana Pickler. This was an easy choice. Pickler finished third at the Olympic Trials with a personal best score of 6257 points, and third at the IAAF Multistars meet in Italy, scoring 6190 points.

**Team of the year (not): Oklahoma City Thunder. Forty-plus years of NBA basketball in the city of Seattle went down the toilet when the franchise formerly known as the Seattle Supersonics officially left town in July after Seattle mayor McCheese (aka Greg Nickels) accepted a buyout from owner Clay (I am a man possessed) Bennett to move the franchise.

Other folks culpable for this mess include former Sonics owner Howard Schultz, NBA commissioner David Stern, Washington governor Christine Gregoire, and the entire Washington state legislature.

**Team of the year: University of Washington women’s cross country team. In a year that can only be described as the worst in Seattle sports history, the Huskies ran roughshod over the competition to win the NCAA cross country title in Terre Haute, Indiana in November, despite not running their best team race.

The best performance by this undefeated team was at the Pac-10 Championships on October 31st, when the Huskies went 1-6, in recording the first perfect team score of 15 in conference history.

To all of you who won the award, click on the little video interview courtesy of media partner Flotrack:

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Former Washington State standout and reigning world outdoor champion at 1500 and 5000 meters Bernard Lagat will compete in the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham, England on February 21st.

“I was really happy with most of my season last year however unfortunately I picked up an injury mid July that was the worst possible time before Beijing. That was very disappointing for me but that is behind me now and I’m very focused on defending my titles at the World Championships in Berlin."

Lagat will open his indoor season January 30th at the Millrose Games at fabled Madison Square Garden in New York where he will attempt to tie the Wanamaker Mile win record owned by legendary Irish great Eamonn Coghlan.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

Courtesy of ncaa.com, columnist Brett Hess writes about the upcoming NCAA indoor track & field season, and how he thinks the undercover season, which climaxes in College Station, Texas on March 13-14th, will pan out.

Even with the loss of Olympian Jacqueline Johnson, the Arizona State Sun Devils appear on paper to be the favorites to win a third NCAA title, led by thrower Sarah Stevens.

LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, and a darkhorse in MPSF/Pac-10 rival Washington are the teams Hess feels have a shot at upending the Sun Devils.

"Up in the Pacific Northwest, Washington is hot off the most dominant women's collegiate cross country season of all-time. On an off-day the Huskies easily won the NCAA Championships; on a great day, they went 1-thru-6 to win the PAC-10 Championship, a meet that included several ranked teams, such as No. 2 Oregon.

If anything, the cross country season proved that the Washington women can run -- and excel at -- distances other than 1,500 meters. It might have been tough to feel any other way last track season, when four Washington athletes competed in the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 1,500 and two others competed in the same event at the Canadian Olympic Trials.

Most are back, including Katie Follett (sixth in the mile at last year's NCAA Indoors). Others in this incredibly deep team, which will likely be asked to run in the 3,000 or 5,000 or distance medley relay include Mel Lawrence, Anita Campbell and Lauren Saylor, along with freshmen Kendra Schaaf and Christine Babcock. If this impressive array of talent can further display its versatility, who knows how many points the Huskies can score."

The Sun Devils and Huskies will see each other at least twice, and possibly three times this winter before the NCAAs--at the Washington Invitational on January 30-31st; the Husky Classic on Valentine's Day; and, the MPSF Championships on February 27-28th.

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

In the world of local sports journalism, today is a sad day, as long time Seattle Times sports reporter and columnist Craig Smith (left/photo courtesy Seattle Times) announced that he is taking a buyout from the paper and leaving the Times at the end of the year.

Even though the Times assigned him during his career to beats as varied as the Seattle Seahawks and Washington State University football, he always had a special place for high school sports.

Craig was one of the main reporters that covered the high school, college and pro career of high jumper Rick Noji in the 1980s and 1990s. He was a stalwart in the Times' coverage of the state high school track & cross country championships over the years, in addition to covering all of the other sports.

In the late 1980s, Craig actually wrote an article criticizing University of Washington track coach Ken Shannon and the team, stating that the Huskies were constant doormats in the Pac-10, because of Shannon's reluctance to invest scholarship dollars and competitive opportunities for non-throwing athletes. While Shannon was upset at Smith's charges in the article, Smith brought to light points that were known in the local track community.

As a measure of respect for what he did for the local track & field community, the Pacific Northwest Association of USA Track & Field even gave Craig an award for his service and coverage of the sport.

Friday, December 19, 2008

Courtesy of gohuskies.com, the seven runners on the University of Washington cross country team that won the NCAA title, along with assistant coach Kelly Strong share in their own words, their reflections on the magnificent ride that was the 2008 season.

From a personal perspective, it was a joy to watch these women run against the best that America had to offer. I had the opportunity to watch them run this fall on four occasions--the season-opening Sundodger Invitational at Lincoln Park; the Pac-10 Championships in Springfield; the NCAA West Regionals in Palo Alto; and, the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute.

The seeds for this run to the national championship were planted in Terre Haute one year before, when the Husky women finished a program-best eighth place at the 2007 championships, but left Indiana feeling unfulfilled.

The momentum was continued in Eugene at the Olympic Trials when Katie Follett, Amanda Miller & Michelle Turner all competed together in the 1500 meter run along with high school sensation Christine Babcock, who would become their teammate in the fall.

As COO, McNees will be the principal deputy to the CEO; supervise USATF’s administration, operations and marketing departments; coordinate long-range planning; act as the principal staff coordinator and advocate to the masters community; and be the chief staff liaison to the new Board of Directors, assisting in the establishment of procedures and policies and coordinating Board training. He will officially join USATF on March 1.

Currently the County Administrator of Blaine County, Idaho, McNees has two decades of experience as a high-level administrator and COO, overseeing budgets in excess of $600 million and managing organizations with as many as 1,400 employees.

McNees was a three-time varsity letterman for the Indiana University track team and has an MBA from Louisiana Tech University. Specializing in the 400m hurdles, he earned all-conference honors and was a Big Ten team champion as well as a member of IU’s school and Big Ten meet record-setting 4x400m relay. As a graduate student at Louisiana Tech, he coached the school’s sprinters and hurdlers. Earlier this year, McNees, 53, began training again for masters competition in the 200 and 400 meters.

“Bringing Michael McNees on board is the first, crucial step for remaking USATF as a highly functioning business,” Logan said. “He has a unique blend of qualities that makes him extraordinarily well-suited for the particular challenges of this new role. He truly understands our sport on every level, and most important, he understands how to make even the most complex public bodies function on the highest levels.”

“I am thrilled to take on this new challenge, which will enable me to apply my professional skills to the sport that has been so instrumental in making me the person I am today,” McNees said. “I am energized about the possibilities for USA Track & Field, and I look forward to having a role in fulfilling Doug’s vision for the sport.”

Prior to his position in Idaho, which he assumed in June 2007, McNees was City Manager of Sarasota, Florida, from 2001-2007. As the top administrator for Money Magazine’s 2000 “Best Small City in America”, he oversaw a budget of approximately $140 million and managed operations ranging from the Sarasota Police Department to the Ed Smith Stadium, the spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds. He also was Executive Director for the city’s Downtown Community Redevelopment Agency, with nearly $1 billion worth of redevelopment projects under construction or in progress during his tenure.

He served Collier County, Florida – with 1,400 employees and a $611 million budget – in various capacities from 1984-2001, including as Assistant County Manager/COO from 1995 to 2001. As Utilities Administrator from 1994-’95, he managed a 200-employee, 75,000-customer utility, and as Management and Budget Director from 1989-’94 presided over the administration of a $291 million county budget.

McNees’ professional and community activities include serving four separate one-year terms as President of the Naples Players, Inc., where he helped guide to completion a successful $6.8 million capital construction campaign and startup of a two-stage theater complex. He is a former board member and first vice president of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Collier County and participated with Sarasota County’s Committee for Economic Development. He was a founding member of the Sarasota Actors Workshop and has been a volunteer varsity high school basketball coach.

About USA Track & Field

USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Over the years working televised track & field meets around the world, I've had the opportunity to work with various announcers and analysts.

One of the rising stars in television track & field meets is former UCLA sprinter Ato Boldon (above/photo courtesy Spikesmag.com), who brings a "tell it like it is" mentality to the screen, and is one that's willing to throw an opinion down that may get athletes (some of whom he's competed against) riled up.

I've always had a respect for folks who actually take the time to do the research on the sport, and not feed you the "when I competed, I did this" type of logic that inexperienced (or lazy) analysts try to ram down the audiences' throats.

Whether it's a meet like the Pac-10 Conference or NCAA meet, where the team battle is the story, or the Olympics, you can count on Ato Boldon to give viewers concise analysis on what's happening on the track.

Monday, December 15, 2008

SPOKANE--Many apologies for not posting until Monday about Saturday's USATF National Club Cross Country Championships, as I was heavily involved with the organization of the meet and media relations.

Here's a recap, which I helped write for usatf.org and the local organizing committee:

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McMillan Elite and Boulder Running Company/adidas easily took the respective men's and women's titles Saturday at the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships at Plantes Ferry Recreation Park in Spokane, Wash.

Saturday's races were held under windy and blustery conditions, with a light dusting of snow that accumulated the night before. Temperatures were in the high 20s with the wind chill making it feel at least 10 degrees colder for the 900+ participants representing America's top post-collegiate club teams vying for top honors and bragging rights as the nation's top cross country team.

As the afternoon progressed, the wind picked up dramatically, and the temperature dropped to the mid-teens by the conclusion of the open men's 10-kilometer race.

Two-time NCAA Division II cross country champion Scott Bauhs, representing Transports adidas Racing Team eased his way into the lead in the open men's ten kilometer race, then held off a late challenge by Andrew Carlson of McMillan Elite to win his first national championship as a professional, clocking 30:47 to Carlson's 30:49.

Bauhs, an Olympic Trials qualifier this year at 10000 meters, and a member of this year's world cross country championships squad, took the lead shortly after the mile mark, while hotly pursued by several members of the winning McMillan Elite squad.

As the wind gusted up to speeds hovering around 30 miles per hour at times during the race, Bauhs began to extend his command over the rest of the field, except for Carlson, who hung on gamely to Bauhs through the final lap.

Carlson's runner-up finish, combined with Brett Gotcher and Gilliat Gebray's 4-5 finish led McMillan Elite to their first national title, as the Flagstaff-based squad scored 47 points, defeating the Bowerman Athletic Club by 17 points. Four-time men's team champions Hansons-Brooks finished third with 107 points.

In what can be best described as a race of attrition, Rebecca Donaghue survived the heavy winds and the early challenge of a group of four runners, including Toni Salucci, Kara June, Alisha Williams, and Jennifer Donovan to win the national title in a time of 21:38. The five women were the only ones to break 22 minutes for the 6-kilometer course.

Despite Donaghue's overall win, last year's third place team Boulder Running Company/adidas dominated the team competition with 69 points, defeating the women of New Balance Boston by 31 points. Three-time team champions Boston Athletic Association took third with 128 points.

In the day's opening race, Carmen Ayala-Troncoso of Austin, Texas, representing Rogue Running, won yet another masters championship, after taking an early lead over former Team USA cross country team member Liz Wilson from Redmond of the Eastside Runners (above/photo by Mike Scott), extending the lead over the final lap.

Team champions included Club Northwest (40-49) and the Impala Racing Team (50-59).

Simon Gutierrez of Alamosa, Colorado used a strong surge on the final lap of the race to break away from runner-up Dan Franek of the Dirigo RC to win his first national cross country title, running 33:50.

Gutierrez and 2006 champion Tracy Lokken were part of the lead group that broke away early from a chase pack that included the Fluffy Bunny TC trio of David Schumacher, last year's national champion Peter Magill, and Christian Cushing-Murray.

Team titles were won by the Fluffy Bunny TC (40-49); Club Northwest (50-59); Boulder Road Runners (60-69); and the Snohomish TC (70+).

Clubs competed for a total prize purse of $24,000, with $19,000 going to the top open teams.

For more information about the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships, please visit www.usatf.org.

RACE QUOTES:

Scott Bauhs: I ran in snow at the NCAA D-II meet a few weeks ago, but this was worse.

I wanted to get out reasonably hard, then take the lead and go from there. I thought that I could hold off Andrew Carlson (on the final stretch). I wasn't completely confident with the conditions, but I felt that I could hold him off at the end.

Rebecca Donaghue: Truthfully, these were the worst conditions I've ever run in. I can't feel my face; I can't feel my fingers. The wind blew me over at about a mile and a half. I drafted off of other people, as the wind was absolutely brutal.

I ran in the NCAA cross country championships a few years ago where it was this cold, but never that windy. This is real cross country weather.

Carmen Ayala-Troncoso: I knew I was in great shape going into today. Liz Wilson and I have raced against each other for a long time, and she just move up into the masters category, so I'm going to have to train harder to keep up with her.

I originally planned to wear half tights, but when I got here and felt the wind, I decided to change my mind and wear as much stuff as I can and feel comfortable, even if that were the difference between losing seconds during the race. The footing wasn't bad; it was the wind.

Simon Gutierrez: I thought I would make a hard push in the fifth mile. I threw a couple of surges in the middle of the race to see how everyone else was feeling. People warned me not to let guys like (former champions) Tracy Lokken and Peter Magill near me towards the end because they're such good kickers.

I live in Alamosa, Colorado, and so the conditions were not that bad. The cold didn't bother me, and I was used to the hard surface.

Friday, December 12, 2008

2008 Olympic marathoner Brian Sell (left/file photo by Paul Merca) will lead the men of Hansons-Brooks as they seek their fifth team title, while the women of the Run Ohio Racing Team hope to win a second consecutive team crown Saturday, December 13 at the 2008 USATF National Club Cross Country Championships at Plantes Ferry Recreation Park in Spokane, Washington.

In what could be one of the most competitive team competitions in the history of the event, the four-time team champions (2001-03, 2005) of Hansons-Brooks Distance Project from Rochester Hills, Mich., will face several of the nation's top club teams including Eugene, Ore.-based Oregon Track Club Elite, led by Will Leer, who was fourth in the 1,500 meters at the 2008 Olympic Trials.

Also in the fray for the team title will be McMillan Elite from Flagstaff, Ariz., led by 2008 USA 15 km champion Andrew Carlson; and the Bowerman Athletic Club, which will be led by Max King, a two-time member of the Team USA World Cross Country squad. Due to recent injuries, defending champions ZAP Fitness are not expected to field a scoring team.

Challenging for the individual title will be recent NCAA Division II Cross Country Champion Scott Bauhs, who will represent the TRANSPORTS adidas Racing Team.

On the women's side, 2007 World Championships marathoner Ann Alyanak will lead the women's squad from the Run Ohio - Second Sole Racing Team as they defend their national title. Alyanak will be joined by last year's scoring members Leigh Daniel, Tara Storage, Kara Storage and Melissa Converse, along with newcomer Carmen Baxter.

The main challenges for the women's team title are expected to come from the women of New Balance Boston, led by the fourth-place finisher at this year's USA Women's 10 km Championship Rebecca Donoghue. The women of the Boston Athletic Association will also be on hand to seek their fourth team title at the event.

Masters action

More than 45 club teams will be represented in the masters events in Spokane. Among the leading teams will be the men of the Fluffy Bunny Track Club, led by defending individual 45-49 year-old champion Peter Magill, as they seek their second 40+ team title. The women's team race will see the the Impala Racing Team face-off with See Jane Run for the 40+ title.

The 11th annual USATF National Club Cross Country Championships features America's top post-collegiate club teams from across the United States vying for top honors and bragging rights as the nation's top cross country team. Close to 1,100 competitors are expected at the event, which features a 10-kilometer men's race and a 6-kilometer women's race. Clubs will compete for a total prize purse of $24,000, with $19,000 going to the top open teams.

Seattle area clubs, including Club Northwest, Eastside Runners, Snohomish Track Club, and the Seattle Running Company will field squads for Saturday's national championships.

Action at Plantes Ferry Recreation Park gets underway at 9:30 am with the community 6 km run. The masters women's 6 km starts at 10:30 am, followed by the masters men's 10 km at 11:30 am. The open women's 6 km begins at 12:45 pm, with the open men's 10 km concluding the day's activities at 1:30 pm.

Monday, December 8, 2008

A small band of Huskies gathered in the Dempsey Indoor facility Saturday to jumpstart the 2008-09 indoor track season with the UW Winter Preview. Several freshmen got their first crack at college competition while a handful of veterans got some early marks under their belts.

All-American pole vaulter Jared O'Connor, the 2nd-place finisher at last spring's NCAA meet, had a solid day, clearing 16-feet, 6 ¾-inches, as did junior Ryan Vu. Both O'Connor and Vu took three shots at the NCAA provisional mark of 17-0 ¾ but could not get over.

Newcomer Kelly McNamee from Ferris High School in Spokane could give the women's team a major boost in the high jump, as she won the event with a clearance of 5-feet, 8-inches. That mark was better than any Husky posted indoors or outdoors in all of 2008, and McNamee has all season to better it. In fact, McNamee's clearance already ties her for fourth on the UW indoor Top-10 list.

The day's most impressive performance was turned in by Amanda Miller, now falling under the Husky alum category after she completed her collegiate career at NCAA Cross Country two weeks ago, helping the UW women to their first national championship with a top-40 finish. Miller, a four-time track All-American during her career, won the 3,000-meter race in 9:22.25, defeating Western Washington cross country All-American Sarah Porter, who ran 9:47.86.

The time would have broken UW's indoor school record, and was 32-seconds faster than her personal best.

Washington hosts five more major indoor meets this season, beginning with the UW Indoor Preview on Saturday, January 17.

Meanwhile, back in Reno, USA Track & Field CEO Doug Logan unveiled "Project 30" in his state of the sport speech to those attending the USATF Annual Meeting.

He laid out clear goals for the next seven years: 30 medals in London, a $30 million budget by 2012, increasing membership by 30 percent and hosting the 2015 IAAF World Outdoor Championships.

In addition to the presidency, several key committee positions were voted upon at the convention, as Pullman's John Chaplin was re-elected chairman of the powerful men's track & field committee. Sue Humphrey of Texas was elected chair of women's track & field, replacing newly elected president Stephanie Hightower.

Retired sprinter Jon Drummond was elected chair of the Athletes Advisory committee, while the committee selected Aretha Thurmond of Federal Way, along with marathoner Deena Kastor and walker Philip Dunn to serve on the new 15-member board of directors of USATF, joining Hightower and IAAF Council member Bob Hersh.

Friday, December 5, 2008

It may still be 2008, but the University of Washington Huskies will open the 2009 indoor season with the UW Preview Meet at the venerable Dempsey Indoor facility.

This is the second year that Washington has got a head start on the indoor season with a December meet. The meet gives many of UW's freshmen a chance to get their first collegiate marks under their belts and gauge their progress with weeks of training and bigger meets ahead.Field events begin at 10 a.m. and running events at 11 a.m.

By Dempsey standards, the Winter Preview is a small-scale event, but still between 200 and 300 athletes from small colleges and clubs are expected to compete. Admission is free for all spectators.

The Dempsey has become the premier indoor track and field facility on the west coast, welcoming thousands of competitors and producing hundreds of NCAA qualifying marks year after year. The Winter Preview is the first of six collegiate meets on the schedule between December and March of 2009. The indoor season culminates with the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 13-14 hosted by Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.

Some of team's sending competitors include Seattle U., Seattle Pacific, Western Washington, Central Washington, University of Puget Sound, St. Martin's, Western Oregon, Evergreen St., and San Francisco St.

The women's 3000 meter run features a matchup between two cross country All Americans from this fall, Western Washington's Sarah Porter, and Washington's Amanda Miller.

RENO, Nevada--In a closer than expected vote, current women's track & field chairman Stephanie Hightower was elected president of USA Track & Field over current USATF vice president Dee Jensen.

Hightower, a former world class hurdler and member of the 1980 Olympic team, garnered 328 votes in Friday afternoon's runoff election to Jensen's 300 votes.

In Friday morning's voting, Redmond's Bob Bowman was eliminated with 58 votes; Hightower led with 304, and Jensen following with 263. As Hightower did not earn 315 votes (50% majority), an afternoon runoff was necessary.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to serve this organization," said Hightower. "We have a multitude of opportunities that lie before us, and I'm just happy that I'll have the opportunity to work with the USATF family and move the sport into the 21st century."

"This is a historical Annual Meeting," Jensen said. "As I said throughout the campaign, we are at a critical juncture. I would like to congratulate Stephanie on her victory and thank my supporters for their hard work. I look forward to continuing to contribute to USATF's future."

Hightower brings a wealth of experience to the USATF presidency. In addition to serving as USATF's Women's Track & Field Committee Chair, she started her USATF Board service as a member of the Athletes Advisory Committee (ACC) and serving as AAC Secretary and AAC/USOC representative.

Hightower serves on USATF's International Relations Committee and chaired the 2007 CEO Evaluation Committee. The women's team manager at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Hightower was the U.S. team leader at the 2005 IAAF World Youth Championships in Morocco. She was the Chief of the Delegation for Team USA at the 2003 World Outdoor Championships in Paris, served as head team manager at the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Spain, and was an Assistant Manager for the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.

A resident of Columbus, Ohio, Hightower currently serves as Vice President for Institutional Advancement for the Columbus College of Art & Design, where she is responsible for leading marketing and communications, media relations, philanthropy, community relations, alumni engagement and legislative affairs. She is involved in directing the college's first comprehensive campaign geared to raise $12 million for capital improvements and endowment growth. She has also held cabinet positions with the Mayor's office, where she was responsible for handling sports development.

A former world class 100m hurdler who competed on more than a dozen U.S. national teams, Hightower held several American and world records and was a member of the 1980 Olympic Team prior to retiring in 1988. As a student-athlete at The Ohio State University, Hightower earned Big Ten Conference, NCAA and National championship titles.

Moments before posting, paulmerca.blogspot.com spoke to Hightower, where she expressed her gratitude to those who voted for her and stated her intent to work with all constituents of the USATF family.

Hightower succeeds Bellingham's Bill Roe, who served as president for the last eight years.

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

RENO, Nevada--In a bit of a mild surprise, the restructuring measures talked about by USA Track & Field mandated by the US Olympic Committee was approved at the opening session of USATF’s annual meeting in Reno Wednesday night.

The surprising aspect of the restructuring measures were the fact that there was not a hint of a floor fight that many believed would happen with the measures proposed to the body.

The bylaw changes were formally presented to membership for a vote at Wednesday evening's Opening General Session of USATF's 2008 Annual Meeting. The changes were approved by a voice vote of membership in which "ayes" heavily outweighed a handful of "nays", more than providing the necessary two-thirds majority to approve.

"This was a historic vote, culminating reorganization efforts that had their roots as far back as the mid-1980s" said USATF president Bill Roe. "It is about improving the organization. Our own board, the group that will be remade by this legislation - the group that will remove most of itself with these changes - recognized this fact. They put their own self-interest aside to act in the interest of the sport. I congratulate our membership on making these extraordinary changes final."

"What our membership did this evening has given us the tools to reinvent USATF, becoming more responsible, responsive and professional," said USATF CEO Doug Logan. Taking the podium moments after the vote to approve the measures, he quipped, "Somebody told me this organization was dysfunctional. It looks pretty functional to me."

Here’s a capsule summary of the changes, some of which were discussed in earlier posts this week:

BOARD/COMMITTEE RESTRUCTURING

* The USATF Board will be reduced in size from 31 to 15 members. Included in those 15 seats are USATF's elected president; seats nominated by each of six USATF Divisions: High Performance, Long Distance Running, General Competition, Youth, Coaches and Officials groups; three seats for athletes; three "independent" seats; one seat for "5E" organizations (groups such as the NCAA, NAIA and others); and one seat for USATF's IAAF Council member. Under the proposal, the new Board would be in place in coming months.

* The Board will elect its own Chair. If the USATF President is not elected as Chair, the President will be named Vice Chair. This gives the Board the authority to elect its own leader while ensuring the continuation of a popularly elected President to represent the interests of USATF's volunteer sector. The President will preside over the Annual Meeting and non-board committees, leading a Volunteer Leadership Group in addition to sitting on the Board.

* Each of USATF's constituent groups with a nominated seat on the Board will provide the Board with three names as potential candidates for their respective seat. A Nominating and Governance Panel, which also will select and/or recruit the Independent Board Members, will choose the Board members from among the three names listed for each Board seat. This process will ensure the overall diversity, gender equity and competence of the Board.

* Committees will continue to select their own Chairs, with the Board providing final approval of all Chair positions.

* In accordance with a Board directive established over the summer, a Youth Division is being created.

ADMINISTRATIVE/NATIONAL OFFICE CHANGES

* USATF's High Performance Plan (HPP), as developed by the High Performance Committee, will be implemented by USATF staff accountable to the CEO.

*National Team Staffs will be submitted by the relevant selection committees to the CEO, who following a review will forward to the Board for approval. Once approved, the staff will be accountable to the CEO.

*National Championship site selection will be supervised by the National Office in conjunction with the relevant sport committee.

*The Board will continue to approve USATF's annual budget. The CEO will be responsible for all financial disbursements.

Other highlights of the first general session Wednesday night included a video presentation of the year in review; the handing of Presidents’ Awards by Roe; and a short speech by each of the three candidates running for president—Bob Bowman, Stephanie Hightower, and Dee Jensen.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Current USA Track & Field board member, and until recently, High Performance Chairman Brooks Johnson blogs his opinion on the events upcoming at the Annual Meeting, including the election of a new president.

Beginning Wednesday, USA Track & Field will hold its annual meeting in Reno, Nevada, and paulmerca.blogspot.com will report on the major events surrounding the convention.

The convention marks the final meeting presided by current president Bill Roe, a long time fixture in the local and national track & field community, who got his start in the sport as a student manager at Nathan Hale HS and at the University of Washington, and rose to prominence through his hard work at all levels of the sport.

With Roe's term as president expiring this week, the delegates will elect a new president between Stephanie Hightower from Ohio, Dee Jensen from North Dakota, and Redmond's Bob Bowman.

Unlike past years, the office of president will be the only position on the board of directors that the membership will vote on, due to a restructuring process mandated by the US Olympic Committee that forces USA Track & Field to streamline its board of directors from 32 to 15.

Naturally, the axing of the board in half is a point of contention among the constituents of USATF, with the various factions positioning and lobbying for spots on the new board, which USATF CEO Doug Logan outlined in his blog of November 4th. Naturally, the people in groups as diverse as Youth, Masters, Officials, Long Distance Running, Race Walking, and High Performance are all wondering how this will affect their piece of the pie.

The diversity of USATF has led to infighting over the years between its constituents, as well as between the national office staff and the volunteer board of directors. Some people within USA Track & Field feel that the infighting was the lightning rod that led to former CEO Craig Masback's resignation early this year.

In preparation for this week's meetings, we've linked to a multi-part story written by Adam Jacobs of TheFinalSprint.com called, "Dysfunction Run Amuck".

Monday, December 1, 2008

NEW ORLEANS – Oregon’s Vin Lananna and Washington’s Greg Metcalf (left/photo by Paul Merca) picked up more cross country coaching honors on Monday as the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association announced the Division I Cross Country National Athlete and Coach of the Year honors.

After the most impressive season in school history, Washington Huskies head coach Greg Metcalf, was named the Division I Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year. His Huskies capped an undefeated season in 2008 by winning the Division I Cross Country title. Metcalf’s program finished eighth a year ago, which was the best finish for the Husky women at the time, before winning this year’s title, Washington’s first cross country championship. The Huskies dominated the meets they competed in this season. The women posted a perfect 15 points at the Pac-10 Conference Championships and scored 25 team points to win the West Regional title in November. Metcalf was earlier named the Division I Women’s West Region Coach of the Year.

Oregon head coach Vin Lananna was named the Division I Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year after leading his Ducks to their second consecutive team championship. Oregon went undefeated during the season and was ranked No. 1 nationally from the preseason poll through the final standings.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

University of Washington freshman Kendra Schaaf has successfully defended her Canadian junior cross country championship this morning in Guelph, Ontario.

Schaaf ran 17:24 for the 5-kilometer distance under cold but sunny skies, defeating her nearest competition by 12 seconds.

As a result of winning her second straight Canadian junior title, Schaaf is eligible to represent Canada at the NACAC Cross Country Championships, scheduled for early March in Orlando, Florida, and at the IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships on March 28th in Amman, Jordan.

Schaaf is the reigning NACAC champion, and finished 20th at last year's world championships in Edinburgh, Scotland.

According to UW coach Greg Metcalf, the conditions in Guelph were 20 degrees warmer than last year, where the competitors traversed a sheet of ice.

The full post-race interview with Metcalf can be seen below, courtesy of media partner Flotrack.

Friday, November 28, 2008

University of Washington freshman Kendra Schaaf, fresh off a twelfth place finish in Monday’s NCAA cross country championships in Terre Haute, Indiana, will defend her junior national championship Saturday at the Canadian Cross Country Championships in Guelph, Ontario, beginning at noon, local time.

Schaaf will run for her club in Saskatchewan, the Queen City Striders. She’ll compete against a field which includes last year’s runner-up, Lindsay Carson of Cambridge, Ontario.

Schaaf won this year’s NACAC cross country title in Orlando, Florida, then followed it up with a 20th place finish at the IAAF World Junior Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland. She won the Pac-10 cross country championship on October 31st, helping the Huskies score the first perfect score of 15 points in conference history.

Courtesy of media partner Flotrack, here's an interview with Kendra and club teammate Simon Bairu, the former University of Wisconsin standout now training in the Portland area with college coach Jerry Schumacher and the Nike Oregon Project.

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Here's sports columnist Art Thiel's take on the University of Washington women's cross country team, scheduled to be published in Wednesday's edition of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:

"THE CELEBRATION WAS a little shy of the victory parade the city gave the Sonics in 1979 for winning the NBA championship.

Then again, the University of Washington women's cross country team isn't leaving town because the city failed to build luxury suites for fans to watch them run along the Burke-Gilman Trail.

A single bus -- no police escort -- brought the champs Tuesday to a tidy, damp salute in front of the Graves Building along Montlake Boulevard. The band, cheerleaders and a few dozen students, relatives and athletic staff members cheered in the light rain. Even football coach Tyrone Willingham showed his support, perhaps to jog his memory of how such things are supposed to look.

Incidentally, here's one of three parts of the CBS College Sports' coverage of the NCAA Cross Country Championships that was posted on YouTube (disclaimer--this clip may be gone by the time people get to it)...

Here's a story from the Vancouver Columbian written by US Olympic javelin thrower Kara Patterson updating everyone on what her life's been like after the Olympics.

"I think it was really good for me to come back from China and jump directly into the fall semester’s class schedule. I was excited about the normalcy of walking around campus and attending classes with people in my major who I really enjoy being around.

Professors were very understanding that I missed the first two days of lessons, thankfully! They were actually pretty excited to have me in their classes.

This summer after the Trials, the athletic department at Purdue (mainly our track and field staff) had a little get-together for me to celebrate my qualification for the Olympic team, and many of my nutrition, fitness, and health professors attended. It was really touching to feel their support outside of the classroom, since sometimes academics and athletics seem to battle more than they coincide.

I’m taking a wine appreciation class this semester, and we get to taste wines in the classroom. It is optional to propose a toast in class, and the first day this semester that we tasted wine, our professor proposed a toast to me. That was pretty cool, as the class is held in the largest lecture hall on campus.

I’ve had the opportunity to meet with and speak to a few different groups of people around campus and the greater Lafayette area about my experiences in Beijing, and it is always such an honor to do so. I am so grateful each time for the chance to simply say thank you to all the people that make what I do on the javelin runway possible."

Monday, November 24, 2008

Thanks to solid top-25 finishes by freshmen Christine Babcock (left/photo by Paul Merca), Kendra Schaaf, and Mel Lawrence, the University of Washington women’s cross country teams finished off the job they set out to accomplish in winning the school’s first NCAA harrier title, scoring 79 points.

The Huskies join an illustrious group of one dozen schools who have won NCAA team titles since 1981, the first year that women contested NCAA titles.

Babcock, the former national high school record holder in the 1500 meters from Irvine, California, worked her way through the pack of finish seventh in a time of 20:02.

Fellow frosh Kendra Schaaf did not get out as hard as many cross country experts had expected and placed twelfth in 20:18.

True to the Huskies’ season long mantra of pack running, sophomore Mel Lawrence finished 25th in 20:33, with junior Katie Follett one place behind, in the same time.

Senior Amanda Miller, running her final race as a Husky, rounded out Washington’s scorers, placing 34th in 20:37, giving the Dawgs a 1-5 split of 35 seconds, one second off their season long average of 34 seconds.

“I was trying not to focus too much on the battle up front, and stayed calm,” said Babcock. “I’m a better finisher when I stay calm. I was trying to wait until people started coming back to me.”

When asked about her thoughts entering the last long straightaway in the race, Babcock said, “All I was thinking about was making it to the finish line.”

Speaking for the seniors on the team, Anita Campbell said, “We kept focus on our ultimate goal all year long. Today we did what we were supposed to do, and everything we were supposed to do was done.”

“We were nervous, but we’ve been through big races this year. Our efforts were methodical, and a few of us got caught in the back, but we stayed calm, and kept moving up. No one got too excited (about the early predicament), and freaked out.”

“To see Amanda (Miller) get All American in her final race was special, and I couldn’t be happier for her”

The Huskies were behind the Oregon Ducks in the team race at the two kilometer checkpoint, but the pack worked its way out of their early predicament.

"The race plan honestly, about 1500 meters in I thought we were a little back," said 12th-year head coach Greg Metcalf (left/photo by Paul Merca). "It actually didn't go according to plan. But, they did what they've done all year long. After the 3k, they moved and ran better after that. Our front team of Christine Babcock and Kendra Schaaf were in the lead pack right where they needed to be. They did a great job. And Mel and Katie closed well and lowered our team's score dramatically after halfway. Things didn't go 100% as planned, but I won't get greedy. It was good to win."

Just missing the top-40 cutoff for All-America honors was sophomore Lauren Saylor (Clovis, Calif.), who was 41st overall and missed 40th-place by one tenth of a second. Saylor was the very last finisher at NCAA's one year ago as her body shut down near the finish, but ran her best race of the year today and exorcised any memories of a year ago.

Rounding out UW's top-seven was senior Anita Campbell (Vancouver, B.C.), who was making her fourth-straight NCAA Championship appearance. Campbell competed as an individual as a freshman and sophomore when the Huskies didn't qualify as a team, but just two short years later she ends her cross country career as a national champion. Campbell did not have her best day of the season, but still placed 51st overall in 20:50.4. Her finish would have been in the top-five for every other team in the meet.

"Honestly all year long this has been the expectation of our group," said Metcalf. "I talked to the President of the University of Washington, Mark Emmert, on the phone and he talked to our kids. That's pretty cool. Our Athletic Director, Scott Woodward, is here. It's great for the city of Seattle, it's great for the University of Washington, it's great for the young women on our team, it's great for our coaching staff. It's outstanding."

The only question facing the team now seems to be just how many they can win. Washington snapped Stanford's streak of three-straight titles, and UW will certainly be a preseason favorite next year as well, with four runners in the top-41 having two or more years remaining.

"To come here as the favorite and get the win, it says a lot about where we come in the last four years, and the direction from here. We only graduate two seniors. We should be better next year, so all is good in Seattle right now."

Conditions were cold and damp, and strong winds lowered the temperatures even more, but the overall feel was not too different from a typical cold winter day in Seattle.

Junior Katie Follett was asked about the conditions post-race and said she felt right at home.

"It was pretty cold out there today, but we're used to training in the rain," said Follett. "We were actually pretty excited when we saw the weather this morning because we're used to it. We're the Huskies from Seattle."

Texas Tech senior Sally Kipyego earned a three-peat, as the two-time defending champion prevailed after an early challenge from Florida State’s Susan Kuijken, winning in a course record time of 19:29. Kujiken took the runner-up position in 19:35, with Tasmin Fanning of Virginia Tech third in 19:38.

Former Tacoma prep standout Brie Felnagle of the University of North Carolina placed fourth in 19:54.

Former Eastern Washington standout Mattie Bridgmon placed 40th in 20:44, squeezing out Lauren Saylor for the final individual All-American spot.

After the Huskies, Oregon took second in the team race with 131 points. Florida State was third with 163, and West Virginia fourth at 198 points.

In the men’s competition, US Olympian Galen Rupp of the University of Oregon used a strong finishing kick in the final straightaway to win his first ever NCAA individual title to repel the early challenge of front-running sophomore Samuel Chelanga of Liberty.

Rupp, the Duck senior, broke the tape in 29:04, with Chelanga second in 29:08.

Senior Andrew Ledwith of Iona finished third in 29:26, while former Inglemoor High School product David Kinsella, a senior at the University of Portland was a surprising fourth in 29:27.

The day was also a success for Washington's men's team but their 18th-place finish was made somewhat bittersweet by the fact that they had to run without senior Jeremy Mineau, UW's top finisher at Pac-10's and Regionals. Mineau had a foot problem flare up over the past few days and was just unable to go. Still, the team wouldn't have been in Terre Haute without him and the rest of his teammates greatly picked up the slack, as the Huskies were ranked just 21st even with Mineau coming in.

Schmitt's finish capped an outstanding first season for the former transfer from California. His 58th-place run was the second-best finish for a Husky male since 1998.

This was the second Top-20 finish for the men's program in the past three seasons, after not cracking the Top-20 from 1994 all the way up until 2006.

Senior Paul Limpf of Eastern Washington finished 73rd in 30:40.

The University of Washington will host a welcoming rally Tuesday at noon at the Graves Building, and will be honored at a reception on December 1st, tentatively scheduled for 4 pm at the Don James Center, according to UW athletics marketing director Leslie Wurzberger.

NOTE: The University of Washington sports information office contributed to this report.

"We can never know about the days to comeBut we think about them anyway, yayAnd I wonder if I'm really with you nowOr just chasin' after some finer day

Anticipation, anticipationIs makin' me lateIs keepin' me waitin'

--Carly Simon, "Anticipation"

TERRE HAUTE, Indiana--This sums up my personal feelings as I awake to head to the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in a few hoursto cover the NCAA Cross Country Championships for Northwest Runner, and for CBS College Sports, where I will be assisting the production team with statistical information for the live telecast at 9 am pacific/noon eastern (Comcast 412 in Seattle) and online at ncaa.com.

As posted many times this season on this blog, the run to the championship for the University of Washington women's cross country team has been nothing short of fantastic. There's a sense of pride as an alum and a former runner on the team to see these young women do so well.

And let's not forget that the Huskies also have a men's team qualified for these national championships along with some of the stories from this year's team, including the comeback of senior Jeremy Mineau, who has endured injuries over the past two years, and is running a 10-k race on only 30 to 35 miles a week of training at this level!

“I guess you can say that it’s a target or you could say that there might be a little outside pressure on us but I don’t think that any of us are going to be feeling that when we step up to the line,” Follett said. “We’re going to think about the races that we’ve run already this year and gaining confidence from that.”

Her coach, Greg Metcalf (above/photo by Paul Merca) also felt confident about the Huskies' chances today, adding that he will let prize frosh Kendra Schaaf go with Kuijken and Kipyego, and not hold her back.

“I will 100 percent Kendra Schaaf go do her own thing tomorrow,” Metcalf said when asked if she’d be asked to hold back to secure team goals. “She will take a risk, she’s tough as nails. I’ve told her before, Sally’s a terrific distance runner. When Sally gets out of bed, she puts her shorts on just like Kendra does. Kendra is fit, she’s ferocious. Top 5 is a realistic goal, and if somebody has an off day then anything can happen and probably will.”

From a Washington state perspective, there are other stories that we'll try to follow, and write about in depth, including former UW graduate assistant coach and Tumwater High product Dave Smith, now the head coach at Oklahoma State, who is coaching the country's number two ranked men's team, and has the best shot at upending #1 ranked Oregon.

Some individuals we'll follow include Portland's David Kinsella, formerly from Inglemoor High; Paul Limpf from Eastern Washington; and North Carolina's Brie Felnagle, the former state champ from Bellarmine Prep.

One last thing before we head out to the course--if you folks in Seattle can do it, please stop by the Ram Restaurant and Brewery and join the UW Athletic Department starting at 8:30 am for its viewing party of the NCAA Cross Country Championships!

Sunday, November 23, 2008

TERRE HAUTE, Indiana--Many apologies for posting late Sunday, as I am also involved with the television production of Monday’s NCAA cross country championships.

The favored Washington Husky women's cross country team (above/photo by Paul Merca) were in good spirits as they toured the cross country course Sunday, under cold but sunny skies at the Lavern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.

There is a threat of rain tonight, which could make the course interesting Monday morning.

Also had the opportunity to talk to Eastern Washington’s Paul Limpf (above/photo by Paul Merca) as he did his final preparations for Monday’s race.

Looking forward to posting a full report after the races Monday!

Remember, don’t forget that the race will be on CBS College Sports (Comcast 412 in Seattle) starting at 9 am pacific/noon eastern, and streamed online via ncaa.com.

Also for those of you in Seattle, there’s a viewing party starting at 8:30 am at the Ram Restaurant and Brewery at the University Village, just north of Husky Stadium!

Saturday, November 22, 2008

SLIPPERY ROCK, PA--Jessica Pixler (above/photo courtesy Seattle Pacific) felt as if she could have kept running, even after crossing the finish line in Saturday’s NCAA Division II cross country championships.

But there was no need. When the Seattle Pacific junior did cross the line, she was nearly half a minute in front of her closest challenger and way in front of most everyone else to capture her second straight national title.

Capping a season in which she came back from a major track injury, Pixler pulled away after the first mile of the 6,000-meter race at Cooper’s Lake Campground and won easily, leading the Falcons to a fourth-place finish in the team standings on a cold morning that was speckled with snow flurries.

“It was really kind of amazing. Even at the end, I felt good,” said Pixler, whose time of 20 minutes, 59 seconds broke the two-week-old course record and made her the first woman to beat the 21-minute mark on the Cooper’s Lake layout. “I had no idea how the race was going to go. I really had no plan going in it. My only plan was to give it my best shot.”

At the wire, Pixler (Sammamish, Wash., Eastlake HS) was 28 seconds in front of Shippensburg (Pa.) freshman Neely Spence, who was considered the primary challenger to Pixler. Spence, who ran 21:27 on Saturday, had set the previous course record of 21:09 when the won the Atlantic Regional meet on Nov. 8.

“This was my first time racing her. I had heard there was quite a bit of hype about her gong into the race,” Pixler said. “But I try not to worry too much about the competition. With cross country, you really can’t tell based on people’s times (because of the different courses).”

Pixler’s performance helped the Falcons place fourth among the 24 teams with 194 points. Defending champion Adams State of Colorado won again, this time with 79 points. Grand Valley State was second with 102, and Western State took the third-place trophy with 183.

Western Washington University men's and women's teams placed 10th and four Vikings earned All-America honors at the 2008 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships on Saturday at the Cooper's Lake Campground course (host Slippery Rock University).

"It's an awesome feeling being here and having two top 10 teams," said Western coach Pee Wee Halsell (22nd year). "It's great to be back where we were in the early 90s with both teams at nationals and doing well, showing the rest of the country what we're all about."

The Viking women, making their first NCAA II national appearance and ranked No.24 in the final United State Cross Country Coaches Association Top 25, finished with 301 points in the 24-team field. They were led by Sarah Porter (So., Hockinson), who placed 13th to earn All-America recognition, covering the 6-kilometer course in 21:59 with the temperature hovering around 29 degrees.

"The second half of their race was the key for them," Halsell said. "They got into solid spots, but then they moved up very well. Everybody was moving during that portion of the race."

The Western men, ranked 12th nationally, had a 263 point total, just nine points behind ninth-place Colorado Mines. It was the Vikings' best NCAA national finish. They placed 11th last year and 13th in 2003.

"They went out and attacked a steep hill in the first 500 meters and established position," Halsell said. "It was hard to move up after that, but they were able to hold on because it was a tough course and that was to our advantage."

Leading the Vikings over the 10-kilomoter distance the trio of Jordan Welling (So., Burlington/Burlington-Edison), Blake Medhaug (So., Bothell) and Bennett Grimes (So., Pocatello, ID/Century), who all received All-America accolades.

Welling placed 23rd in 32:02, Medhaug 29th in 32:11 and Grimes 34th in 32:18. It was the second straight All-America honor for Grimes, who placed 43rd last year.

Adams State CO won both team titles. Seattle Pacific's Jessica Pixler dominated the women's race, posting a winning time of 20:59, 28 seconds ahead of the next competitor. Chico State's Scott Bauhs was the men's individual champion in 30:23.

It was the first time since joining the NCAA in 1998 that the Vikings had qualified both their squads for nationals in the same season.

St. Martin’s University senior John Riak finished 101st in a time of 33:17.

Friday, November 21, 2008

Seattle Pacific's women's squad (above/photo courtesy Seattle Pacific University), and both Western Washington University teams are set to compete in Saturday's NCAA Division II cross country championships in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania.

For defending women's champ Jessica Pixler, it'll be a chance to cap a comeback from an injury (fractured femur, fractures in her back) during last winter's indoor track season that ultimately kept her on the sidelines for the spring outdoor track schedule.

"This is going to be like a fun chance to thank God for allowing me to have a healthy season," Pixler said. "I've been thinking about it a lot the last two or three weeks. I've decided to view the race as a blessing and kind of as a celebration of the fact that I can run and that I've worked so hard to come back.”

The Falcons finished second in last year's title meet, behind Adams State, and are currently ranked tenth according to the latest USTFCCCA polls. After winning the GNAC title, they finished second behind Chico State, led by former Washington Husky Tori Tyler, at the West Regionals in San Diego.

For Western Washington's Sarah Porter, who almost attended Eastern Washington University, Saturday's meet is an opportunity to see how much she's improved over her freshman year.

Her first year at Western culminated with a top 10 finish in the 10,000 meters at the NCAA D-II outdoor track and field championships, which Porter said "really set a standard" for her sophomore year.

After winning every race she ran during the regular season, Porter was second at the GNAC meet and third at the West regionals both won by Seattle Pacific's defending national champion, Jessica Pixler. Then Porter realized that success now is really expected at all.

"What was interesting was that last year at regionals, I placed 13th and everybody was like, `Oh, wow. That was great, Sarah. You ran the race of a lifetime,' " Porter said. "This year, I took third and my coach was like, `That wasn't your greatest race,' and I was like, `I know.' It's so funny how expectations shift. I've learned to expect more of myself, and because of that, other people expect more of me."

Porter's success has translated to success for the Vikings, as they qualified for the NCAA D-II meet for the first time in program history. The Vikings finished third at the GNAC meet and fifth at regionals.

It'll be cold going for that top seven – and everyone else's top seven at Cooper's Lake Campground in Slippery Rock. The current forecast calls for snow flurries and a race-time temperature of 27 degrees with 10-mph winds that will feel like 17 degrees with the wind-chill factor.

The Viking men's team, led by sophomore Jordan Welling, head into Slippery Rock as the #12 team in the country according to the USTFCCCA polls, after finishing third at the West Regionals two weeks ago in San Diego, despite a race stoppage and a subsequent re-run at the 5-k mark.

St. Martin's senior John Riak, who finished third at the NCAA West Regionals, will compete at the national championships as an individual for the third straight year. Riak finished 46th in last year's meet in Missouri.

The NCAA Division II championships will be streamed online starting at 9 am pacific time, via this link...

The Seattle Pacific junior endured a fractured femur and other fractures in her back that were diagnosed during last winter's indoor track season.

Yet on Saturday in Slippery Rock, Pa., Pixler will be a favorite to win — again.

"I've decided to view the race as a blessing and kind of as a celebration of the fact that I can run and that I've worked so hard to come back," Pixler said. "Running has a different meaning for me now. It's definitely a gift.

After receiving this press release yesterday from University of Oregon track/cross country media contact Greg Walker, paulmerca.blogspot.com wondered if there were any viewing parties Monday morning in the Seattle area to watch the #1 ranked University of Washington women's cross country team in its quest for a national title.

Given the general "suckiness" of Seattle sports teams in 2008, one would think that the sports fans of Seattle would want to embrace a winner (Mariners--DFL; Sonics--DFL & masquerading as the Oklahoma City Thunder; Seahawks--currently DFL; Husky football--currently DFL & battling Washington State this Saturday in the "Rotten Apple Cup" for DFL).

Having the NCAA championship meet on Monday morning at 9 am Seattle time isn't exactly the best time to have a sporting event, but it is what it is.

If any of you know of any public viewing parties (whether it's at a running store, sports bar/restaurant, etc.), please let us know by hitting the comment link at the bottom of this post, and we'll post it here!

According to this press release from the USTFCCCA,“A live television broadcast, and the ability to watch the championship online for the second year in a row, is such a huge step in the sport of cross country,” said Robyne Johnson, NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championship Committee Chair. “With so many student-athletes from all over the country, it is great that their family and friends who aren’t able to attend the championship can watch them on television or online. We were very happy with the 2007 championship viewership and we are hoping even more tune in this year.”

Last year 8,531 people watched the championship online, representing the highest viewership of any NCAA championship other than men’s and women’s basketball.

CBS Sports, the broadcast rights holder for the Championship, worked in conjunction with the NCAA and the U. S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) to create a live broadcast of the championships.

“The USTFCCCA plans to continue to work with the NCAA in exploring and implementing new ideas and technologies that will enhance the championship experience for student-athletes and NCAA member institutions as well as contribute to the growth of cross country,” said USTFCCCA CEO Sam Seemes. “Last year’s live broadcast of the Division I Cross Country Championships was the first step.”

The NCAA cross country championships will be shown on CBS College Sports (channel 412 on Comcast in Seattle; may have to upgrade to get the sports tier package) starting at 9 am Monday, and online at ncaa.com.

We are honored to receive this award, as it comes from our peers who passionately cover the sport, and strive to continue the legacy of excellence that the late Adam Jacobs sought before his untimely passing.

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About Me

Internationally respected track and field writer Paul Merca brings his take on the sport to paulmerca.blogspot.com.
Paul was the assistant director of communications for the 1984 USA Women's Olympic Marathon Trials in Olympia, WA., and public relations director for the 1999 USA Cross Country Championships in Tacoma, WA.
The current public address announcer for the University of Washington's home track and field meets, Merca's been a media assistant to the USA national team (2001-11, 13, 15, 17) at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.
His vast knowledge of the sport has been utilized by many of the country's sports television networks, and is a senior writer to Northwest Runner magazine. He's covered 13 IAAF World Track & Field Championships, and two Olympics.
Merca graduated from Seattle's Franklin High School in 1977, and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in 1981 in Communications.
He competed in track and cross country at Franklin, and ran cross country at the University of Washington.